New Chainring and Chain...

[wheezy]

I've just torn my chainring to pieces after a bolt came loose, and need to replace it. I have about 4000 miles or so on the ring and the old chain, and the guy at the shop said I should get a new chain to go with the new ring. My question is; should I reverse my rear sprocket as well? It hasn't worn down to any serious degree, but is it best practice?

[Recumbentrohloff]

I've just torn my chainring to pieces after a bolt came loose, and need to replace it. I have about 4000 miles or so on the ring and the old chain, and the guy at the shop said I should get a new chain to go with the new ring. My question is; should I reverse my rear sprocket as well? It hasn't worn down to any serious degree, but is it best practice?

Personally, on my Rohloff set-up, I ALWAYS reverse or renew the rear sprocket whenever I change the chain - and that is about every 5000 miles anyway!

[Andre Jute]

I'm not so sure a mix of old and new transmission components matters on a Rohloff installation since  chain "stretch" is taken up by adjusting the eccentric BB or the sliders, opportunities that do not exist on road bikse, whence this "wisdom" about changing everything together arrived. I'm just wondering if we're not passing around a "rule" that has no bearing on Rohloff installations.

PRACTISING WHAT I PREACH
My Rohloff standard 16T sprocket has travelled 5400km and not been turned, my KMC X8 chain has done 900km (and is part of an experiment to see whether you can run a chain, inside an enclosed chain case, only on factory lube, no added oil), and the Surly stainless chainring was fitted about 250km ago. All worked well together from the beginning and are continuing to works well. The new chain also worked well for 650km with the old sprocket and an Amar steel crank/chainring combo which had already covered 4600km. The only adjustment made was to reset the sliders to end up with the chain a bit more slack than the 10mm play Rohloff describes as a minimum requirement.

Andre Jute

[wheezy]

Nice spread of opinion there... I guess there's nothing against a clean sweep. Chains are pretty cheap and destroying a chainring doesn't happen every day.